March 16, 2007

A Useful Test

A friend linked me to this web-based test. It enables you to determine which level of damnation you will attain, according to Dante’s Inferno and the Word whose course he attempted to chart, should you perish this instant.

You have escaped damnation and made it to Purgatory, a place where the dew of repentance washes off the stain of sin and girds the spirit with humility. Through contrition, confession, and satisfaction by works of righteousness, you must make your way up the mountain. As the sins are cleansed from your soul, you will be illuminated by the Sun of Divine Grace, and you will join other souls, smiling and happy, upon the summit of this mountain. Before long you will know the joys of Paradise as you ascend to the ethereal realm of Heaven.

Trust me that once I get to Heaven, one of my great pleasures will be looking down at all the sinners roasting in Hellfire, laughing at how the fools glorified themselves in life!

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Alright, I’m calling you out. This website–blogs4brownback–is an elaborate hoax, right? If so, it’s pretty [darn] funny, and I’m sorry that I got suckered by it. Good work. You don’t have to announce it to the world. Just send me an email.

“Alright, I’m calling you out. This website–blogs4brownback–is an elaborate hoax, right? If so, it’s pretty damn funny, and I’m sorry that I got suckered by it. Good work. You don’t have to announce it to the world. Just send me an email.”

Incidentally, if you want to keep this running, you need to delete my first post above. If you want, I’ll be happy to write up some real juicy [bush-hitler]-is-racist/no-blood-for-oil stuff for you, and you can ban me. It’d be a nice touch. It’d be really funny, though, if you established contacts with the Brownback campaign and ran with this until about September of ’08. That would require some real dedication, though, and you’d have to clean up some minor problems with your site.

I don’t know what you’re talking about, RDM. This is a real site. This is what I really think about the issues. Why is it that I can’t disagree with you without being dishonest? Why do you leap to these conclusions?

I don’t really want to hear your opinions on Bush or the Iraq war, if they’re as extreme as you say they are. I would be interested in hearing what you think is wrong with our site, though. Criticism is always welcome, even if it comes from a liberal.

It’s the little things. On your “Mission” page, you all wrote, “G-d bless you all.” I’ve seen the same thing on a post. The link to Jeff Gannon should go. If you don’t have any contact with Students for Brownback, you ought to delete the comment from Billy Valentine on your “about” page. You also need to put up some bio’s of your contributors. You can adopt pseudonyms if you want, but the nondescript screen names should go.

Actually, RDM, we have been in contact with Students for Brownback, and are really impressed with Billy Valentine’s dedication, passion, and knowledge of the issues. I’m sorry you think we’re a hoax, by the way. Are you so unused to talking with people whose opinions differ from yours? Either way, I’m not certain what we can do to reassure you that we’re real, and that our opinions are equally real.

Contributor bios ARE a good idea, actually. This site is so new that we haven’t really thought to do that. I tend to not put up a lot of information about myself, though, as a girl can’t be too careful on the internet. There are some seriously disturbed people out there…

At the risk of being called delusional, I have to ask what this has to do with getting Mr. Brownback elected? I do not want to go to heaven to watch people being tormented any more than I would watch the news for reports of people being killed or injured. Taking delight in the suffering of others is unhealthy and immoral so frankly if Sisyphus is joking around a little, that would make me feel better. I am sure he has had the experience of being told he is going to hell because he is a member of the R.C.C. If not, take my word for it, people like that are out there and some are more than a bit alarming.

Furthermore, I would advise Sisyphus to be very careful of giving too much credence to any computer test that purportedly tells you where you are bound after you die. You do not know who created such a test or for what reasons. It could easily be set up to create a given answer, or simply give random answers and so create a fatal mindset in the person who takes it based on their results. It seems to have created an unpleasant sense of complacency and vindictivness in Sisyphus. It might create a sense of despair in a person who takes the test and gets a result saying they are damned. Either way an Internet quiz cannot give you a peek into your own future.

Alan, you should also check out the great post about the unscientific nature of science–it ends with a classic about how children will be harmed if they aren’t taught that heliocentrism is “controversial.” And then there’s the post that implies we’re losing in Iraq because there are gays in the military. They’re very dry, but this stuff is hilarious.

I’m not sure what he means by “dry,” as it’s pouring down rain here today, and “hilarious.” But then he, unlike Alan, is delusional.

Alan, your point is well taken about what this has to do with Brownback being elected. But I cannot speak for the entire Blogs 4 Brownback team. We have a variety of interests, but we are united in the belief that Sam Brownback deserves, and should receive, the GOP nomination for President. He is the best (perhaps only) real conservative in the race.

Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins (Romans 5:8). Isaiah 53:5 declares, “but He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Jesus suffered for our sins so that we could be delivered from suffering. To say that we must also suffer for our sins is to say that Jesus’ suffering was insufficient. To say that we must atone for our sins by cleansing in Purgatory is to deny the sufficiency of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus (1 John 2:2). The idea that we have to suffer for our sins after death is contrary to everything the Bible says about salvation.

The primary Scriptural passage “for evidence” for those who believe in Purgatory is 1 Corinthians 3:15, which says, “If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” The passage (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) is using an illustration of things going through fire as a description of believers’ works being judged. If our works are of good quality “gold, sliver, costly stones,” they will pass through the fire unharmed, and we will be rewarded for them. If our works are of poor quality “wood, hay, and straw,” they will be consumed by the fire, and there will be no reward. The passage does not say that believers pass through the fire, but rather that a believer’s works pass through the fire. 1 Corinthians 3:15 refers to the believer “escaping through the flames,” not “being cleansed by the flames.”

Purgatory is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of Christ’s sacrifice, they fail to understand that Jesus’ once for all sacrifice was absolutely and perfectly sufficient (Hebrews 7:27). Some view meritorious works as contributing to salvation due to a failure to recognize that Jesus’ sacrificial payment has no need of additional “contribution” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Similarly, Purgatory is understood by them as a place of cleansing in preparation for Heaven because they do not recognize that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are already cleansed, declared righteous, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, and sanctified.

Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay the penalty for ALL of our sins. Jesus, who was God incarnate (John 1:1,14), paid an infinite price for our sin. Jesus died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2). To limit Jesus’ sacrifice to atoning for original sin, or sins committed before salvation, is an attack on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. If we must in any sense pay for, atone for, or suffer because of our sins – that indicates Jesus’ death was not a perfect, complete, and sufficient sacrifice.

For believers, after death is to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). Notice that this does not say “away from the body, in Purgatory with the cleansing fire.” No, because of the perfection, completion, and sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are immediately in the Lord’s presence after death, fully cleansed, free from sin, glorified, perfected, and ultimately sanctified.

Something to ponder, check yourself, do not take my word for it…
2Ti 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Remember, all SCRIPTURE is fit for doctrine, but it must be in the book! (Please don’t take anyhting I said a bashing anyone’s belief, I’m a strong supporter of those who have Faith in Christ, be it Catholic, Baptist, whatever, but I do hold everyone to the Word, and only the Word….

“Furthermore, I would advise Sisyphus to be very careful of giving too much credence to any computer test that purportedly tells you where you are bound after you die. You do not know who created such a test or for what reasons. It could easily be set up to create a given answer, or simply give random answers and so create a fatal mindset in the person who takes it based on their results. It seems to have created an unpleasant sense of complacency and vindictivness in Sisyphus. It might create a sense of despair in a person who takes the test and gets a result saying they are damned. Either way an Internet quiz cannot give you a peek into your own future.”

I appreciate your concern, Alan. Rest assured, I’m always aware that conditions could change, or there could be sins unclear to me and undiscernible to a computer which bar me from Purgatory. However, since I feel reasonably confident that I’m honest with myself, I’m not overly concerned about that. Then again, new temptations are constantly arising. We must all remain vigilant against them.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I abide by the Word and the only the Word, and the Word was made flesh, in CHrist Jesus…choose who you follow, carefully…

Think about it, a Holy God, offers Himself up as a sacrifice for man’s salvation. He humbled Himself to become flesh and dwell amongst us sinners and to suffer the filth and decay we have wrought upon the Earth and He did this out of Love for us, for He knew we could not keep the Law. The Old Testament atonement required a blood sacrifice for the remission of sin, isn’t the prescious blood of the Lamb of God, a Holy God in the flesh, Holy blood, suffcient for atonement? The Bible says it is, why must we not accept Christ’s blood atonement that covers our sins in His cloak of righteousness? Why must we feel the need to somehow add to what Christ already accomplished on the cross? Or better yet, what arrogance and pride drives us to think we have anything to do with our salvation other than accept the perfect gift God has offered unto us?

Eph 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast

We can do nothing for salvation, only to accept the gift of God. Be of good cheer and rejoice, for the cloak of righteousness that is Christ’s blood covers your sins without anything from us…

God bless, I only hope, that for your sake, you don’t take my word for it, challenge everything I say by proving me wrong through scripture! Remember, reading God’s Word can only give you increase, and give God the glory! 🙂